The Burden of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Human Immunodeficiency Viruses in Ovarian Cancer Patients in Nairobi, Kenya

Francis Mugeni Wanyama; Rudolf Tauber; Alfred Mokomba; Catherine Nyongesa; Véronique Blanchard

doi:10.3390/idr14030047

The Burden of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Human Immunodeficiency Viruses in Ovarian Cancer Patients in Nairobi, Kenya

Infect Dis Rep. 2022 Jun 7;14(3):433-445. doi: 10.3390/idr14030047.

Authors

Francis Mugeni Wanyama^{1

2}, Rudolf Tauber^{1

3}, Alfred Mokomba⁴, Catherine Nyongesa^{5

6}, Véronique Blanchard^{1

7}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Augustenburger Platz 1, D-13353 Berlin, Germany.
² Clinical Chemistry Unit, Department of Human Pathology, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676, Nairobi 00202, Kenya.
³ Labor Berlin Charité Vivantes GmbH, Sylterstrasse 2, D-13353 Berlin, Germany.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kenyatta National Hospital, Ngong Road, P.O. Box 20723, Nairobi 00202, Kenya.
⁵ Cancer Treatment Centre, Kenyatta National Hospital, Ngong Road, P.O. Box 20723, Nairobi 00202, Kenya.
⁶ Texas Cancer Center, Keri Road Off Mbagathi Way, P.O. Box 13, Nairobi 00202, Kenya.
⁷ Department of Human Medicine, Medical School Berlin, Rüdesheimer Straße 50, D-14197 Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Ovarian cancer (OC) is a gynecological malignancy characterized by high morbidity and mortalities due to late-stage diagnosis because accurate early diagnostic biomarkers are lacking. Testing of Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in OC patients is pertinent in light of the emerging evidence of their contribution to poor prognosis. We, for the first time, investigated the prevalence of HBV, HCV, and HIV infections in a Kenyan cohort of OC to inform optimal management. We recruited a cohort of women above 18 years of age, comprising 86 OC patients and 50 healthy controls. Participants' blood samples were serologically screened for HBV, HCV, and HIV. We found seroprevalence rates of 29.1%, 26.7%, and 1.2% for HBV, HIV, and HCV, respectively, in OC patients. The healthy control group had HBV and HIV seroprevalence rates of 3.9% for each with no positive HCV case. HBV/HIV coinfection was noted only in the OC group with a positivity rate of 17.4%. In summary, we found higher HBV and HIV seroprevalence in Kenyan OC patients compared to the healthy control group, whereas HCV prevalence was reflective of the general population. Hence, we recommend screening for HBV and HIV among OC patients destined for anticancer treatment.

Keywords: Kenya; chemotherapy; hepatitis B virus; hepatitis C virus; human immunodeficiency virus; ovarian cancer; seroprevalence; sub-Saharan Africa.

Grants and funding

Francis M. Wanyama was financially supported by a Stipendium of the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst (DAAD research grant number, 57381412). The Germany Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, grant number 03VP04050) financially supported sample collection.